The historic Lockwood Skating Palace has been a beacon in the 5th Ward community for over 40 years. Many have spent countless hours skating or hosting their birthday party there, but last week the community was revisited by another tradition, Gospel Skate Night.
Tiffany Perkins, the great-niece of Palace owner, Cathrine and Andrew Flake, remembered when she was a kid and desired to bring this event back to the forefront for a new generation to experience.
“I worked here during my entire childhood and we had Gospel Skate Night for years and years. It was my favorite event. This place would be packed. We had skating, gospel music, prayer, R.O.T.C. and praise dances. It was a wonderful event,” said Perkins.
Gospel skate night is exactly that, skating to gospel music. There are many places you can go and skate to all types of music, but this is something totally different where people can really enjoy the broad genre of the gospel music industry while skating.
“I’m hoping Gospel Skate Night is a way for families, no matter what age, great-grandma down to great-grandchild can all come and enjoy themselves,” said Perkins.
The event began with a prayer by Pastor Nico Matthews from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, followed by a performance by Brandon J, a local gospel artist who sang his debut single, “We need you.”
“I wrote this song in 2015 at a time when I needed God the most. One day I woke up and couldn’t walk or talk. I was in that condition for about a month and a half. So this song is about how I need God because God brought me out of that,” said J.
Community members and church leaders packed the skating palace, skating and fellowshipping.
“Living my blessed life is living in my full potential of what I have to offer in this world. Whatever that is that God has deemed for me to fulfill, I want to live that life. We plan to do this every month going forward,” said Perkins.
